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Friday, May 28, 2010

Funeral Pie

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...One of the desserts that we considered for Bob's birthday was an Amish funeral pie. Bob was intrigued by its name and its resemblance to a mincemeat tart I serve for the holidays. Many of our friends are older than Bob and me, and I was not sure they'd appreciate being served something called a funeral pie at a birthday celebration. Bob, nonetheless, wanted to give it a try. After some negotiation, my inner diplomat successfully reasoned with his inner child and we deferred serving the pie until later in the week. The pie is traditionally served at funerals of Old Order Mennonites and Amish. It was served at so many funeral suppers that it was given the name "funeral pie." It became a favorite of Mennonite cooks because the ingredients were always available and the pie kept well. That meant it could be made a day or two before the funeral supper and freed hands for other tasks. The pie is not unpleasant, and if you love raisins or mincemeat I suspect you'll love it. One caution. It is very sweet. Susan, who writes The Well-Seasoned Chef, let us know that the pie is deliberately made cloyingly, almost painfully, sweet to allow mourners to forget, if only for a moment, the pain of their grief. If I make this again, I'll reduce the sugar by half. I would also make a lattice crust to improve its appearance. As you can see from the photo above, Bob enjoyed his pie as written. We have a Mennonite community in our area and I used a recipe given to me by one of their best bakers to make the pie. Here's the Smith family recipe.
Funeral Pie...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite, inspired by the cooks of the Smith family

71 comments
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Mary, welcome to Foodie Friday! You always bring a smile and happy memories. We lived in upstate Ny and I was given a very similar recipe by a neighbor who grew up in Pennsylvania- she called it a Mourning Pie. Such lovely traditionsxoxo pattie

Teehee Mary, you sound just like me. If I was intrigued by a pie with a name like this, I would bake it too, no matter what the occasion was! Love the way it got its name, and the filling looks gorgeous!

I have heard of funeral potatoes and who died cake, this is a new one for me. I think it would be lovely with the lattice top. If you make it again, with the alterations, I hope you post it as an addendum.

Mary-We laughingly call my chess pie my "funeral pie". It is what I take on short notice when there is a need. I always have the ingredients, it is easy to make, and most people love it. I guess we're not as clever as we thought :) Hope you have a good Memorial Day weekend!

I love to learn stories about how recipes came to be. My dad would love this pie. He loves raison pie, and mincemeat pie. Raison pie is so sweet it hurts my teeth. I love a mincemeat tart with ice cream... but just a little... but, I DO love it. Funeral pie... what an evolution. And what an unusual Birthday treat request. Glad you could defer it until later in the week:) Guests might think you are trying to send them a message. Valerie

"...my inner diplomat successfully reasoned with his inner child and we deferred serving the pie until later in the week."

I can totally relate!

I'd love to give this a try. I grew up in Amish country and I've never heard of such a thing. My mom made a Date Nut Ring that we called funeral cake...but only because she baked one and took it to the family every time someone in our community passed away. It was SO good, but I can't just make it because I like it. All I would be able to think of the whole time I smelled the familiar scent as it bakes is "funeral cake". lol.

The very name of the pie intrigued me. It does look like a rich pie and if I make it I will follow your advice regarding the sugar. I can see why this would be a good pie to make for bringing to a funeral dinner, which in all reality is a celebration in memory of someone's life, and this pie does look to cause joy in celebration!

Hi Mary, You are most welcome to India! I am sure, you will enjoy here. Thanks for visiting my blog and comments....I am totally new to this pie recipe and I heard this name first time...But the story behind the pie is very interesting..hahahaha

Great information, as usual. The pie looks wonderful and there is a certain someone living in my house that loves raisin pie. I do not like raisins at all. He would love this. I would have to rename it. smile

As a child of the south, I grew up with "funeral" recipes. A death of one near and dear brought out the competitiveness (at least to my child's mind) in a cook. Of course, it was really a way of soothing the bereaved by gathering around them, feeding their bodies while soothing their pain. But, I don't recall this pie. It does sound delicious!

It is a GOOD pie! I love the name -- but as I understand it came about because in the winter, there was no fruit for pie but there were raisins -- and you can't have an Amish/Mennonite Funeral without pie -- thus it was made MOSTLY for funerals!

Raisin pie! My dad loves raisin pie. The store that goes with this is wonderful. Traditions that are connected with food some how make the food taste better to me. Thanks for sharing both the story and the recipe. My father will thank you-- father's day would be a nice time to bake this for him!

Rosina Pie, that's what it's called when you don't want to allude to its funerial association. I am part PD (fr/ Berks County, the fancy, not Amish nor Mennonite.) This pie was one of the first recipes I blogged about three years back. I've never been fond of raisins nor mincemeat, but it's an important part of my family's culinary history. Another reason for its purpose at funerals is that it's so cloyingly, literally burning and painfully sweet, that you forget, but for a moment, the pain of your grief.

I do love seeing it enjoyed by the living for its own sake. And, yes, it does needs that top crust. ; )

This pie sounds really great (well maybe short of the name LOL) but it gave me a great laugh. A few years ago our youngest son was having trouble understanding a memorial we were going to for some older family members who had passed away. Once he did understand he asked if he could put it on the calendar. Pleased that he was accepting it so well we said sure. To our amazement he wrote, "Dead People Day". We still laugh as a family.

Mary, I have to tell you for sure the Chinese won't serve this on someones birthday! haha.... Because of the name! It's just not very nice to so. Normally, the Chinese will serve Longevity buns and noodles. All of these food brings the meaning of wishing the birthday guy long life. Hope you'll have a nice day!Cheers, Kristy

I do have to say one thing. Your pictures are beautiful, but you are making them very unappetizing by adding fake color to the background. That red/orange looks horrible with you pie. You also aren't tracing the pie very well, so it looks very fake. I'd stick to the original picture. You obviously have photography skills.

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